With reference to a combination of active ingredients (a) and (b) used in the present invention (hereinafter described), EP Patent No. 298196 teaches that the imidazole compound used in the present invention as active ingredient (a) is useful as a harmful bio-organism controlling agent, referring to the possibility of using the compound in combination with other fungicides if desired. EP Patent No. 298196 adds that a combined use of an imidazole compound structurally similar to the imidazole compound used in the present invention as active ingredient (a) with other fungicides, such as cyanoacetamide compounds (e.g., 1-(2-cyano-2-methoxyiminoacetyl)-3-ethylurea) and organic chlorine compounds (e.g., tetrachloroisophthalonitrile), brings about enhanced effects. Furthermore, EP Patent No. 337103 discloses a harmful bio-organism controlling agent containing at least one imidazole compound structurally similar to the imidazole compound used in the present invention as an active ingredient and at least one active ingredient selected from a cyanoacetamide compound, an organic chlorine compound (including tetrachloroisophthalonitrile), a phenylamide compound (including methyl N-(2-methoxyacetyl)-N-(2,6-xylyl)-DL-alaninate), a cinnamic acid compound, a copper compound, and an organophosphorus compound (including Fosetyl-Aluminum).
Reviewing these patents in view of the present invention, they do not describe nor suggest a combination of the imidazole compound as active ingredient (a) and an inorganic phosphorus compound, a β-methoxyacrylate compound or an oxazolidinedione compound. Neither do they describe nor suggest the pronouncedly excellent controlling effects which may be possessed by a composition comprising the imidazole compound as one active ingredient and at least one member selected from the group consisting of a cyanoacetamide compound, an organic chlorine compound, a phenylamide compound, a cinnamic acid compound, a copper compound, and an organophosphorus compound as the other active ingredient.
With respect to a combination of active ingredient (a) and activity-enhancing ingredient (c) (hereinafter described), EP Patent No. 298196 describes usefulness of the imidazole compound of the present invention as a harmful bio-organism controlling agent, teaching that this compound can be formulated into various forms together with adjuvants. JP-A-Heisei-3-11003 (the term “JP-A” as used herein means an “unexamined published Japanese patent application”) discloses a method for controlling harmful bio-organisms comprising applying an aqueous dispersion containing at least one of the imidazole compounds of the present invention and a sorbitan higher fatty acid ester surface active agent.
The imidazole compound represented by formula (I) and many other conventional harmful bio-organism controlling agents have their several characteristics in the controlling effects. Some produce insufficient effects on some harmful bio-organisms, or some are less effective in curing than in prevention, or some have relatively short duration in residual effect. Therefore, cases are sometimes met with in which their controlling effects on harmful bio-organisms are insufficient in practice in some uses. Further, although the imidazole compound of formula (I) exhibits excellent fungicidal effects on Phycomycetes, it tends to fail to produce sufficient curative and/or preventive effects depending on the situation of the development of a disease. From this aspect, too, enhancement has been desired.
On the other hand, in practical application of a harmful bio-organism controlling agent comprising the imidazole compound of formula (I), it is desirable to minimize the amount of the compound to be used for cost saving while trying to control a plurality of harmful bio-organisms different in kind, the time of disease breakout or the time of occurrence as much as possible. Further, while the harmful bio-organism controlling agent containing the imidazole compound of formula (I) as an active ingredient is particularly excellent in preventive effect, it has been-demanded to enhance its curative effect.